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Hillel Opens in Rio
December 15, 2003Comments (0) | Add | E-mail this to a friend  Along with the beach at Ipanema and the annual Carnival, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, has a new claim to fame: a brand-new Hillel House.
The Jewish community of Rio inaugurated the new building on December 8 in a gala, day-long celebration that attracted over 1,000 students and community members. Rio Hillel is the only organization to serve the needs of 3,000 Jewish young adults ages 18-30 in the city. Located in the Lagoa neighborhood, the two-story building features rooms for social events, computer access, and Jewish learning. The new Hillel is supported by major contributions from local donors, the Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation and the Jewish Agency for Israel.
Hillel Rio is a community-based (as opposed to campus) Hillel. Major program areas include community service, Israel, Jewish learning and celebration, arts and culture, career development and social activities.
Hillel International Board of Governors Chairman Edgar M. Bronfman, Board of Directors Chairman-Designate Randall Kaplan, and Interim President Avraham Infeld joined with Rio Hillel President Dr. Sergio Benchimol, Vice Presdient Marcia Polisuk, and student leaders Roberto Cohen and Deborah Waldman at the dedication. Jewish Agency Head of Delegation in Latin America Arieh Abir, Rio Federation Director Osias Wurman, Israel's Ambassador to Brazil Daniel Gazit and World Jewish Congress Secretary General Israel Singer were also on hand.
Hillel's foreign delegation included Santa Barbara Hillel Lay Leader Adam Bronfman, Uruguayan Hillel President and International Board of Directors Member Marcelo Cynovich, Argentina Hillel President and International Board of Governors Member Eduardo Elsztain, Weinberg Latin American Fellow and Florida International University Hillel Program Director Melina Gimal, and Executive Vice President Jay Rubin, who oversees Hillel operations outside the United States.
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